April 2015

Pervert jailed after exposing himself to a group of school children on a train

A pervert who exposed himself in front of a group of schoolchildren and performed an indecent act has been jailed for a year. 

Paul O’Connor, 31, of Bondfield Walk, Dartford, was sentenced at Amersham Crown Court on Friday after he admitted engaging a sexual activity in the presence of a child. 

O’Connor boarded the 2.05pm Aylesbury to Marylebone train in June last year when he sat amongst children returning from a school trip.

The court heard he then exposed himself and committed an indecent act. 

While none of the children alerted teachers to the incident on the train, several of them reported it to parents when they got home. 

CCTV images of O’Connor were circulated by the British Transport Police, which then led to him being identified. 

He will now face a year behind bars while he has also been placed on the on the Sexual Offenders Register for 10 years.

Detective Inspector Chris Neeson said: “I am pleased O’Connor has been brought to justice.

“His actions were unacceptable, and it must have been disturbing for these children to have to witness them.

“Thankfully, incidents such as this are rare.

“British Transport Police will continue to work to ensure the rail network remains a safe place for passengers of all ages, free of unwanted sexual behaviour.”

April 2015

Stepfather’s three years of child cruelty revealed in court – Not jailed

A woman whose stepfather subjected her to a cruel campaign of violence and degradation when she was aged between 11 and 14 said she reported the abuse after she heard he had another child.

James McIlroy (57) from Templemore Avenue in east Belfast was yesterday handed a four-month prison sentence, suspended for two years, after he admitted three counts of assaulting his stepdaughter – including tying a belt around her neck and making her walk on all fours when she was aged around 13.

His victim – now a 38-year-old mother-of-four – said she was relieved the case was now over and that McIlroy accepted his guilt.

“I would have liked him to have got some jail time, but what is meant to be will be. I heard he had another child and I didn’t want that child to go through the same thing as I did.

“I wanted to come to court years ago, but due to a number of personal circumstances I put it off. But when I met my fiance… everything started to fall in to place and I realised I needed closure as this was always something that was hanging over me.”

Belfast Crown Court heard the offences were committed from September 1987 to September 1990.

A Crown prosecutor told the court that on one occasion, McIlroy was working on a car but was unhappy at the way the work was going, lost his temper and punched his stepdaughter in the ribs, causing her to fall.

On other occasions, he would make the youngster stand with her arms out, and when her arms became tired and she lowered them, McIlroy would strike her with a bamboo cane.

The prosecutor said McIlroy would also send the youngster on tasks to search for items he had hidden in places she wouldn’t be able to find them, then “she would be punished”.

The court heard that when the girl was about 13, McIlroy put a belt around her neck then made her walk around the room on all fours.

Passing sentence, Judge David McFarland told McIlroy: “You were in a position of trust, and as a stepfather figure it was your duty to provide comfort and protection within the home – and sadly that was lacking.”

Telling McIlroy his behaviour towards the girl was both violent and degrading, Judge McFarland said it was “well over and above normal chastisement” which resulted in suffering on her part.

The judge also said that while the physical aspects of the assaults were “limited”, his course of conduct “clearly had an emotional and psychological impact” on the girl.

April 2015

Banffshire blacksmith jailed for 1990s child sex attacks

A north-east blacksmith who raped 14-year-old girl in the early 1990s has been jailed for 10 years.

Gordon Wall of Cornhill near Banff was also convicted of sexually assaulting a second girl and has now been registered as a sex offender for life.

The 57-year-old, who was living in Coventry at the time of the offences, admitted rape, attempted rape, indecent assault and indecency with a child.

Warwick Crown Court heard graphic details of how Wall groomed his victim before playing strip poker with her at his home.

Then in his late 20s, he also showed her a video called The Lover’s Guide.

Prosecutor Nicholas Cartwright told the court that after raping the teenager, Wall threatened to kill himself if she told anyone.

Shortly before Wall moved to Aberdeenshire with his wife he attacked another 14-year-old girl.

The offences came to light during a confrontation between Wall and his wife at their Cornhill steading in August.

She called the police after he got a knife and when officers arrived he confessed to having had “inappropriate relationships” with the two girls.

Jailing Wall, Judge Alan Parker told him: “The rape of a child, I am afraid, unhappily speaks for itself, as does an attempted rape of the same child, and one of the offences of indecency with a child is of a particularly repellent nature.

“It is all profoundly disturbing.

“But it is very important to emphasise that one of the very unusual features of this case is that when you were confronted with what you had done, you were candid about it and you pleaded guilty at the first opportunity in this court.”

April 2015

Aberdeen men who downloaded child abuse images avoid jail

Two Aberdeen men have narrowly avoided jail after downloading thousands of indecent images of children.

Craig Bowick, 39, and Angus Traill, 44, appeared separately at Aberdeen Sheriff Court yesterday to be sentenced after previously admitting the had downloaded illicit pictures over the course of a number of years.

Bowick, of Scylla Gardens, Cove, also admitted a further charge of possessing extreme pornography which showed women engaging in sexual acts with dogs and horses.

In total Traill, of Denburn Court, Aberdeen, downloaded 7,905 pornographic images of children between the ages of two and 15.

He committed the offence between October 17, 2008 and June 1, 2014.

He further downloaded seven videos totalling just over an hour in length.

The court heard Traill had shown very little understanding of victim impact, although the majority of the images and videos found on his computer equipment were classified as being at the lower end of the scale.

Bowick however told social workers that he had been completely aware of the affects of his crime on the children and women who were in the images.

He said that to start with he was just curious about the pornography, but it gradually became habitual.

The court heard in total Bowick had 4,049 indecent images of children, mainly girls aged between one and 15. He also had 22 videos with a total play length of four hours and 33 minutes.

He had a further 1,278 extreme pornographic pictures of females on his computer equipment and 209 videos totalling 50 hours in play time.

In both cases, Sheriff Graham Buchanan said he believed the public interest would best be served by imposing community based sentences.

He ordered both men to carry out 250 hours of unpaid work in the community. He also placed them under supervision for three years and ordered that they take part in a local sex offenders’ programme.

They will also be on the sex offenders’ register for three years.

April 2015

Skelmersdale pervert caught with 22,000 sick child abuse images

A pervert caught with a sick stash of child sex abuse images and extreme animal porn was jailed for 16 months.

Colin Crawford, 47, downloaded more than 22,000 indecent pictures and videos of children.

Crawford, of Eskdale, Skelmersdale, also had five “extreme pornographic” videos of animals being abused.

Liverpool Crown Court heard that police raided his home on June 23 last year and seized his computer and a hard drive.

Crawford told officers he had used a file sharing website “while bored or drunk”.

Geoffrey Lowe, prosecuting, said more than 500 indecent pictures of children recovered by police were in Category A – the most serious category.

There were more than 1,000 Category B images and the rest – over 20,000 – were in the least serious category, Category C.

Crawford had more than 550 video files, some 250 or so which were in Category A, more than 150 in Category B and more than 150 in Category C.

He also possessed five animal porn videos and 32 banned cartoon images of children being abused.

When interviewed by police, Crawford claimed he did not get any sexual gratification from the images or videos.

He said he had downloaded them for four years but had not distributed any images.

Crawford pleaded guilty to 15 counts of possession of indecent images and videos.

He had one previous conviction for an unrelated alcohol offence.

Sarah Phelan, defending, said: “Mr Crawford has a significant problem with alcohol, something that has blighted his life for many years. This is something that he feels has on occasion acted as a disinhibitor.

“As a man who lives alone, he is fearful of the general public’s reaction to his guilty pleas.

“He is fearful that he will no longer be safe in his own home.”

She urged the court to hand Crawford a community punishment and allow him to attend a sex offenders programme.

But Judge Andrew Hatton said Crawford had denied gaining any sexual gratification from his crimes, meaning that he was either lying and in denial, or the course would not benefit him.

He said: “I think it is a manifest lie and he is a pervert who likes to look at children.”

He jailed Crawford, gave him a 10-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order and told him to sign on the Sex Offenders Register for a decade.

Judge Hatton said: “These images show extremely young children engaged in the most depraved form of sexual activity with adult males.

“Significant numbers of very young children have suffered abuse at the hands of perverts in order to provide stimulation for perverts and the likes of you sitting at computers.

“It is difficult to imagine the psychological and emotional trauma suffered by these children.”

April 2015

Deaf and unable to speak pervert jailed for six months for sex offences on teen

A man who sexually assaulted a teenager during a train journey in the Lake District has been jailed.

Linley Hassan, 26, who is deaf and unable to speak, sat beside the girl in an otherwise empty carriage and wrote her unwanted notes before the late night attack on January 7.

A drunken Hassan then tried to cuddle the 16-year-old, but when she turned away, he placed his hand on the inside of her thigh.

At Carlisle Crown Court yesterday, Hassan pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting the teenager.

He was sent to prison for six months by Judge Paul Batty QC, who had heard how the victim “froze” as she was attacked.

“This was a terrifying incident for a young girl on a train,” the judge told him.

Hassan, latterly of Castle Street, Kendal, must comply with sex offender notification requirements for the next 10 years.

April 2015

Already convicted pervert jailed after being caught with more than 60,000 child abuse pictures

A 39-year-old man has been jailed after being caught with more than 60,000 child abuse pictures on the computer at his home in Redditch.

The pictures were picked up by an agency monitoring the use of the internet in a periodic trawl for people downloading the images, Worcester Crown Court heard.

Nicolas Cartwright, prosecuting, said Paul Donnelly immediately admitted the offence when police raided his flat in Cofton Close on June 11 last year.

He told them they would find moving and still images on his computer, some involving girls as young as six. He had been convicted of a similar offence in 2003 and had then being given a place in a programme for rehabilitating sex offenders.

He pleaded guilty to downloading 74 moving images at category A, 56 at category B and 97 at category C, the least serious. He also pleaded guilty to downloading 23 still pictures at category A, 209 at category B and 60,000 at category C.

He also admitted having one extreme porn image.

Diljit Bachada defending, said Donnelly had low self esteem and spent a lot of time alone in his flat but he had been working full time since October last year and his confidence had improved. He was also in touch with a private organisation to seek help over his child abuse images problem.

Judge Robert Juckes, QC, said Donnelly had viewed “particularly abhorrent material”. He had been given a chance in 2003 on a programme that was challenging and usually very successful in preventing further offending and the only choice now was a custodial sentence.

“The industry creating these images only exists because people like you want to view them,” he told Donnelly.

Donnelly was jailed for eight months on each of the category A charges and six months on the others, to run concurrently, a total of eight months.

He was also ordered to register as a sex offender and given a sexual offences prevention order restricting his use of the internet, both to run for five years.

2003

Paul Anthony Donnelly, (27), from Evesham Mews, Redditch was sentenced to a three year rehabilitation order and placed on the sex offenders register

Terrence Kenneth Cox, (51) of Mercot Close, Redditch was jailed for 18 months and ordered to register as a sex offender upon release from prison

Note: In June 2014, Terence Cox, then aged 62, pleaded guilty to having more than 4,000 indecent images – Spared prison

March 2003

Men guilty of child abuse images offences

Two men from Redditch have pleaded guilty to possessing indecent images of children.

Paul Donnelly, from Evesham Mews, and Terrence Kenneth Cox, of Mercot Close, were arrested by West Mercia Police after a tip-off from detectives working on a national level.

Police found indecent images of children on computers at both men’s homes.

Cox was also found to have indecent images on CD-Roms and on a terminal at his workplace.

A police spokesman said 84 people have been arrested in Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Shropshire during four months of investigations.

Inquiries are still continuing and some computer equipment is yet to be examined.

The operation is a major police investigation into the activities of suspected paedophiles.

Both men will be sentenced on 9 April.

April 2015

Former Aintree hospital doctor faces being struck off after indecent images of children conviction

A hospital doctor who was convicted of taking indecent images of children now faces being struck off.

Dr David Scerri, who worked as a gastroenterologist at Aintree Hospital until his arrest, is due before a medical tribunal later this month.

The panel has the power to ban him from practising medicine again.

Scerri, 48, was convicted of six counts of taking indecent photographs of a child at Manchester Crown Court in June last year.

He was ordered to sign the sex offenders’ register for five years and given a three-year community order.

Scerri, of Wythenshawe, Manchester, qualified as a doctor in Malta in 1991 and registered to practise in Britain in 2003, before becoming a gastroenterology specialist in 2009.

A spokesman for Aintree Hospital said: “Dr Scerri is no longer employed by the Trust.

“Immediately after Greater Manchester Police told the Trust that Dr Scerri had been arrested in July 2012, the Trust took steps to stop him from working in the hospital.

“We also informed the General Medical Council of the situation. The charges were unrelated to any aspect of Dr Scerri’s role in the hospital.”

Scerri will appear before the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service (MPTS) panel on April 29 and 30 in Manchester.

The MPTS said in a document published ahead of the hearing: “The panel will inquire into the allegation that, on June 13, 2014 at the crown court in Manchester, Dr Scerri was convicted of six counts of taking indecent photographs of a child and was sentenced to a community order for three years with a supervision requirement, required to attend the Northumbria sex offender group for 144 days, to sign the sex offenders’ register for a period of five years and made subject to a sex offenders prevention order for five years.”

Scerri is suspended from practising medicine until the outcome of the MPTS hearing.

April 2015

Man ‘caught with over 7,000 indecent pics’

A Co Antrim man who was caught with over 7,000 indecent images of children stored “in a sophisticated way” on his computer has been remanded in custody.

Judge Gordon Kerr QC revoked 28-year old Kristoffer Noel John Coulter’s bail and told him he would be sentenced this Friday.

Belfast Crown Court heard that Coulter – who was described as having an “unhealthy sexual interest” in child abuse images – had also downloaded “a large number” of images of primary school children in their school uniforms from Facebook onto his computer.

Crown prosecutor Simon Jenkins said that while these images were not illegal or indecent in any way, their presence was “relevant” as it demonstrated that Coulter had a “sexual interest in children.”

Coulter, from Mill River Mews in Ballyclare, admitted a total of 21 charges including making indecent images of children and possessing prohibited images of children.

Mr Jenkins said that last June, Coulter’s home was searched by police after information was received about indecent images.

The court heard Coulter realised why the police called to his home and he “admitted immediately they were looking for him”.

Coulter’s computer was seized and examined and he was interviewed on 15 October last year.

Mr Jenkins said picture files and videos were located on a folder on the computer, which had been placed into sub-folders according to characteristics such as the age of gender of the youngsters.

Around 7,000 indecent images were found, consisting of 6,177 pictures and 820 movies – over 100 of which were in the most serious category which encompasses sadism and bestiality.

Saying Coulter had categorised the images on his computer in a “sophisticated way”, Mr Jenkins revealed that the children in some of the images were young babies.

The prosecutor added: “The way in which the images were stored suggests a high level of personal interest in the images themselves.”

Coulter – who came before the court with no previous convictions – admitted all 21 charges against him.

Defence barrister Paul Bacon acknowleged the case against his client was “very serious” and accepted it was one that “attracts revulsion.”

Telling the court Coulter accepted he had an “unhealthy sexual interest in pornography of this type”, Mr Bacon also revealed Coulter was bullied at school which had a “significant impact on his life”.

Mr Bacon added that when Coulter’s offending came to light he was sacked from his employment with the Belfast Trust which resulted in him seeking solace in alcohol and prescription medication and that his “life now lies in ruins.”

Mr Bacon concluded by telling Judge Gordon Kerr that Coulter was clearly a man with “serious psycho-sexual difficulties”, adding his girlfriend of seven years was standing by him.

After revoking Coulter’s bail and remanding him into custody, Judge Kerr told him he would be sentenced for the offences this Friday.

April 2015

Prison officer working on sex offenders’ wing caught with child abuse images

A PRISON officer from East Lancashire who worked on the sex offenders’ wing at a leading jail was caught with nearly 2,000 indecent images of pre-pubescent girls, a court heard.

Detectives acting on a tip-off swooped on Andrew Webster as he was finishing a shift at HMP Strangeways in Manchester on February 28, Burnley Crown Court was told.

He was taken to Burnley police station while a search was conducted at his home in the town’s Beechwood Avenue.

Stephen Parker, prosecuting, said several items of computer equipment were seized and Webster was asked if any of them might contain indecent images.

But he exercised his right to silence.

Later a laptop computer and USB stick were analysed by the police’s high-tech crime unit. These items were found to contain around 2,000 indecent images of girls aged eight and upwards.

But Webster, now of Simmons Way, Clayton-le-Moors, who admitted making indecent images, insisted he gained no sexual gratification from watching the images.

Kevin Donnelly, defending, said his client — a former soldier with no previous convictions — had been having serious difficulties coping at work.

Mr Donnelly said: “He is suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder and this has manifested itself in a rather unusual manner.

“His account is that his viewing of this material is a form of self-harm, of torturing himself, as a form of psychological self-harm.

“He is adamant that he does not gain sexual gratification from looking at images of children.”

Mr Donnelly said that Webster was well aware of the court’s sentencing powers and had arrived at court with a packed bag, to await his fate.

Webster was given a three-year probation supervision order and a sexual-harm prevention order for an indefinite period.

April 2015

Exmouth pensioner could die in prison after admitting catalogue of sexual offences

A 69 year old man with severe lung disease, who may have less than two years to live, has been warned today to expect an 11 year jail term after he admitted a catalogue of offences including rape, indecent assault and child cruelty.

Former publican David Furneaux, formerly of Dursley, Glos, but now of Exeter rd, Exmouth, Devon, suffers from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and needs oxygen because his lung capacity is only 25 percent.

Furneaux, who has also worked in building demolition, has recently been living in Almeria, Spain for the benefit of his health but returned to the UK this week to stand trial on a total of 20 charges.

A jury was selected yesterday and the trial – involving offences committed in Dursley, Sidmouth, Burnham on Sea, Bristol and Spain – was due to get under way today.

But when the case resumed this morning defence barrister Paul Grumbar asked the judge, Jamie Tabor QC, if he would give an indication of the maximum sentence he would pass if Furneaux were to plead guilty.

The judge said he would not pass a maximum of more than 11 years. After talks with his barrister Furneaux returned to court and admitted 13 charges, denying 7 others.

Prosecutor Ray Tully said the pleas were acceptable and the 7 outstanding charges could lie on the court file without being proceeded with.

Mr Grumbar asked for an adjournment for medical reports to be prepared and he requested bail pending Furneaux’s sentence in six weeks time.

But Judge Tabor refused bail – although he allowed Furneaux half an hour to make arrangements with his brother Robert, who accompanied him to court, for a supply of oxygen and medication to be brought into the building to hand over to prison warders.

White haired Furneaux, who walks with a stick and breathes very heavily, later handed himself over to dock officers who were to transport him to Bristol prison with his medical equipment.

During the hearing Mr Grumbar said Furneaux had been told about 10 years ago that his life expectancy would be 10-12 years.

The charges Furneaux admitted involved a woman, three girls and two boys.

He pleaded guilty to raping the woman twice between July 1975 and December 1984.

He also admitted five offences of indecent assault on a girl between January 1974 and November 1978, two offences of sexually assaulting another girl in July last year, cruelty to that girl and two boys aged under 16 between July 1975 and May 1985 and indecent assault of another girl between August 1987 and June 1989.

After today’s hearing Mr Tully said the offences had been committed at locations across Gloucestershire, Somerset, Devon and Spain at times when Furneaux was living and working in those areas.

April 2015

Madrassah Islamic teacher tried to groom his pupil

A former teacher at a Batley madrassah has been jailed after a judge said his behaviour suggested “sexual interest” in a schoolboy.

Ismail Sacha sent a number of messages via Facebook to his former pupil and on one occasion tried to get the boy to join him in the mosque’s toilets.

He then made a bungled attempt to cover his tracks by pretending to be a pupil – but his fingerprints were found on the anonymous letter sent to the head teacher.

Judge Rodney Jameson QC said nothing untoward happened while he taught the boy but it was obvious Sacha was “attracted” to the youngster.

Leeds Crown Court heard Sacha sent messages to the boy but got no response.

He ran into the boy – then aged about 12 – at the mosque in 2013 and asked him to go with him to the toilets.

Once there, he made similar comments to those sent on Facebook and asked whether the boy had reached puberty.

He offered to look at the boy’s private parts to check, but the boy refused and later made a complaint.

Sacha was suspended by the Islamiyah Madrasah while an inquiry took place, but wrote a fake letter from an anonymous pupil saying they had sent the Facebook messages. His fingerprints were found on the letter, but he still denied writing it for a brief time.

Sacha, 29, of Purwell Crescent, Batley, was found guilty at trial of arranging to meet a child following sexual grooming.

David Bradshaw, mitigating, said he still maintained he was “an innocent man” and suggested it was unnecessary to immediately jail him.

He said: “Although a teacher at the mosque he was not this boy’s teacher at the time.”

He added that Sacha had lost “almost everything” and is “paying a high price” as the result of his conviction.

Jailing him for nine months, Judge Jameson QC said he was satisfied Sacha was behind the messages, which were “worrying” and an abuse of trust, and the letter was an aggravating feature.

April 2015

Unmasked: Paedophile who worked in schools across North east as children’s counsellor

A COUNSELLOR who worked with vulnerable youngsters – including abuse victims – is today exposed as a paedophile who himself preyed on children and swapped indecent pictures.

The secret double life of Robert Fothergill, who worked with children in schools across the region, emerged when detectives were investigating the internet activities of another suspect

Fothergill, from Richmond, North Yorkshire, is facing jail after tearfully confessing to a series of sickening crimes in front of his family in court.

The married father was arrested two months ago as police probed the online actions of another paedophile – and found he had been in touch with Fothergill.

It emerged the 46-year-old had sent indecent images to others and discussed abusing children during chat log conversations last February.

His barrister, Tom Mitchell, described the talk as “fantasy” but told a court that former bank worker Fothergill is braced for a lengthy prison sentence.

“Inevitably, this will be custody,” said Mr Mitchell. “The length is to be determined, but reports will be needed, not least to consider the question of risk.”

Fothergill set up his Footprints Counselling and Support Service company in 2012 after studying at Bishop Auckland College and Darlington College.

Among the children he counselled were victims of child abuse, bullying, domestic abuse and youngsters with low-self esteem or with communication problems.

In 2005, he left his job as a Yorkshire Bank mortgage consultant, where he had worked across the region includingNorthallerton, Thirsk and Thornaby, Stockton.

As a counsellor, he worked with a number of schools across the region including in Richmond and Catterick Garrison, North Yorkshire and Wolsingham, County Durham.

At the time of his arrest, he was working at a school onWearside.

Fothergill – who spent 13 summers volunteering at an orphanage in Romania – had been working at the school on a temporary part-time contract, said Mr Ashton.

In his profile on the online business directory Linkedin, he describes himself as “honest, hard-working and conscientious, applying myself fully to the job in-hand”.

He worked for seven years in the Durham Dales alongside councillors, police and other services supporting locals to get involved in decisions affecting them.

In October last year he resigned as Chair of Governors at Melsonby Methodist Primary School, North Yorkshire, citing ill health.

Appearing at Teesside Crown Court in a baggy grey hoody and unshaven, Fothergill glanced at the public gallery when he was brought into the dock by an officer.

He smiled towards his wife, then sobbed as he said “guilty” to charges of causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, and the sexual assault of a child.

He also admitted distributing indecent images of children, possessing indecent images, and attempting to cause or incite a child to engage in sexual activity.

Fothergill, of White Lands, Richmond, will be sentenced in early June after reports have been prepared on him by a psychiatrist and a probation official.

Judge Neil Davey, QC, told him: “The reports will give an accurate and up-to-date picture of you and what it was that led you to commit these offences.”

He was remanded to HMP Hull until his next appearance, and the judge said: “You will understand, inevitably, a sentence of imprisonment must be imposed.”

The court heard how there was no evidence of the abuse charges – and no complaint had ever been made – but Fothergill confessed to police in his interview.

James Bourne-Arton, prosecuting, said evidence for the picture-sharing came from the chat log, and the indecent images were found on Fothergill’s computer.

Mr Mitchell said the case was “interesting, notwithstanding its seriousness”, and added: “When he was arrested, police had relatively little to go on.

“He, thereafter, gave them everything in terms of the charges he now faces . . . they are the result of admissions in interview. There is no other evidence.”

A prolific user of social media sites, Fothergill also has a Twitter page which promoted his business and told of the commissions he had won to counsel children.

In one online message he posted in July last year, he told his 88 ‘followers': “School contracts in place . . . private client base is growing fast.”

Fothergill says he gained national recognition as ‘mobile mortgage advisor of the year’ when he worked for the bank, and later became a youth worker.

On his Linkedin profile, the former Thirsk Comprehensive pupil lists the causes he cares about as civil rights and social action, education, health, human rights, poverty alleviation, social services and children.

April 2015

Pervert dumped by girlfriend when he accidentally sent her video of himself having sexual intercourse with a DOG

A man accidentally sent his girlfriend a video of himself having sex with their dog.

Depraved David Buchanan, 34, decided to have sex with the 10-month-old pet Rhodesian Ridgeback while his partner was at work.

He filmed the sickening act on a tablet computer – without realising it was automatically linked to her mobile phone.

His girlfriend was horrified when a 29 second clip started playing on her handset showing him having sex with the 10 month-old pet.

The woman immediately called police and Buchanan, who admitted the offence, was arrested and charged with sexual assault on March 7.

Keith Ballinger, prosecuting, told magistrates in Swindon, Wilts: “This comes to light because it is reported by his then partner.

“She was at work on this day and received on her mobile phone a 29 second video clip from a tablet computer.

“That video showed him having sex with their 10-month-old Rhodesian Ridgeback.

“It appears her mobile phone and the tablet are linked by the Cloud, and it is that way the video was sent to her.

“When arrested he said he knew he had done wrong and it was stupid.

“He had been at home watching pornography and wondered what it would be like to have sex with the dog.”

Ellen McAnaw, defending, said: “There is a great deal of embarrassment and shame about what happened.

“He spends most of his time at home drawing or playing xBox, and he doesn’t seem to have any friends outside the previous relationship.”

Buchanan, from Royal Wootton Bassett, Wiltshire, was given a 12-week sentence, suspended for two years. He also signed the sex offenders register for seven years and was given 50 days of rehabilitation.

He was ordered to pay £85 costs and £80 victim surcharge.

April 2015

Towyn man admits accessing indecent images of children on internet

A man has admitted that he accessed indecent images of children on the internet when he was drunk.

Defendant John Gwyn Morris, 48, was sent on an internet sex offender treatment programme when he appeared at Mold Crown Court today (Wednesday).

Morris of Plas Tirion, Towyn near Abergele, had admitted four charges of making indecent images and one charge of possessing a total of 1,836 images.

At Mold Crown Court Judge Rhys Rowlands placed him on a three year community order.

He was sent on an internet sex offenders’ treatment programme and ordered to register with the police as a sex offender for five years.

A five year sexual harm prevention order (correct) was also made.

Richard Edwards, prosecuting, said that a search warrant was executed at the defendant’s home address in August 2013.

When asked if he had accessed indecent images of children, he said that “he used to look at stuff.”

Two computers were seized, and 1,836 images of class A, B and C were discovered along with one class C video.

Many of them had been deleted.

The children were aged nine upwards.

Search tags indicated that he had searched for such material.

Interviewed, he said that he was surprised at the number of images found.

He admitted that he searched for such items when drunk and would delete them the following morning.

Andrew Downey, defending, said that his client had no previous convictions.

He deserved credit for his co-operation and early guilty pleas.

April 2015

Ryton paedophile posed as girl to blackmail young boy into sending him indecent images

A paedophile posed as a teenage girl online before targeting a 12-year-old boy.

Martyn Fletcher blackmailed the youngster into taking indecent pictures of himself and sending them to him, a court heard.

But the 27-year-old was caught out when the boy finally reported him to police in his home country of Canada and Fletcher was traced to his Gateshead home.

And when Northumbria Police later seized his computer, they found 18 indecent images of children and two movie clips.

Fletcher, of Butterfield Close, Ryton, was arrested and has now admitted two counts of inciting a child under 13 in engage in sexual activity and two counts of possessing indecent images of children at Newcastle Crown Court.

Sentencing him to a three-year community order, Judge Robin Mairs said: “These offences date back to November 2012.

“On that occasion, you contacted a very young man over a social media website and you pretended to be a female.

“You asked him to show you his privates. You blackmailed him into sending you photos by saying you would put on Facebook that he didn’t like girls and that he liked boys.

“The 12-year-old therefore did as you asked.

“This is, in many ways, a worrying case. I have read your background in the pre-sentence report and, in some extent, you are not the author of your own misfortunes. I’m minded, just, to follow the recommendation in the report.”

Judge Mairs added: “In this case, the public interest is better met with giving you a lengthy community order.”

Jonathan Devlin, prosecuting, said Fletcher had used Skype to contact the boy.

He said: “He [the boy] was interviewed in Canada and he said he was on a website talking to strangers and he was in contact with a person later identified as this defendant.

“The defendant was posing as a female called Jessica. It was Jessica that initiated the conversation with the young boy.

“The conversation was fine at first but it became something he was not prepared to deal with.”

Mr Devlin added: “The boy was asked if he liked girls. Jessica then asked him to share pictures of his private parts and if he didn’t, she threatened to put messages on Facebook that the boy didn’t like girls.”

Paul Cauldfield, mitigating, said: “He’s prepared to undertake all the work and treatment he can to minimise and reduce his risk.”

Fletcher was also ordered to take part in the Sexual Offender Treatment Programme and was made subject of a Sexual Offenders Prevention Order.

April 2015

Sexual predator who subjected two young girls to catalogue of horrifying abuse has been jailed

A sexual predator who subjected two young girls to a catalogue of horrifying abuse has been jailed.

One of Peter Fletcher’s victims today branded the 54-year-old an ‘absolute monster’.

Fletcher is serving a decade behind bars and must sign the sex offenders’ register for life after being found guilty of a string of perverted attacks over several years.

Other victims of sexual abuse are now being urged to come forward.

Fletcher, of Stubley Lane, Dronfield, started sexually abusing the girls in 2003.

He was charged last year with 13 offences including five sexual assault charges, four counts of gross indecency with a child under 14 and two counts of sexual activity with a child under 16.

Fletcher denied the charges but was found guilty by a jury at Derby Crown Court.

One of his victims, who must remain anonymous to protect her identity, has bravely spoken of her ordeal at the hands of fletcher.

She said she will be haunted forever by what he did – but refuses to allow her ordeal to ‘control’ her.

The victim said today: “He was controlling, manipulative, an absolute monster.

“He destroyed my confidence – I didn’t have a normal life.

“I’ll never forget what he did to me – it will always stay with me – but I won’t let it control me.”

She said now Fletcher was locked up he would not be able to harm anyone else – and she could now start to live her lift.

The victim said: “I’m pleased justice has been done and he won’t be able to harm anyone else.

“Personally, I can now start to live the life I should have had.”

She added: “I’d urge other people who have or are going through what I’ve been through to tell the police.

“They will listen to you, they will be compassionate, they will support you.

“If this appeal helps just one person, it’ll be worth it.”

April 2015

Pervert pleads guilty for possession of indecent images of children

A 25-YEAR-OLD man has admitted possessing more than 700 Category A indecent images of children

Oliver Cooper, of Suffolk Road, Stapenhill, appeared at Burton Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday to admit eight charges of possessing indecent videos or photographs in North Yorkshire, and three charges of making indecent images of photographs.

He also admitted two charges of distributing two photographs over Twitter from his home in Burton.

Emma Thompson, prosecuting, said: “A search warrant was executed at this defendant’s home on July 19, last year.

“During the search he revealed to the officers that he was in charge of the Twitter handle which was used to distribute the photographs.

“In total he was found to possess 168 indecent videos of children of Category A – the highest.”

Cooper also had 773 Category A indecent images, as well as 508 images and 32 videos both of Category B.

He also had possession of 1,776 images and 22 videos, both of Category C.

He also admitted distributing two photographs to another person between May 27 and July 20, last year, as well as making three images.

Cooper is now due to attend Stafford Crown Court to be sentenced on a date yet to be fixed.

Until his next court appearance he answers conditional bail not to enter a family centre in North Yorkshire.

April 2015

Middlesbrough man pleads guilty to having indecent pictures of children and extreme porn

A 66-year-old man is awaiting sentence after he admitted having indecent pictures of children and extreme pornography.

Francis Dowson also admitted flouting a court order which was meant to protect the public from sexual offences.

He pleaded guilty to four offences at Teesside Magistrates’ Court today.

He admitted possessing an extreme pornographic image, described as “grossly offensive, disgusting or otherwise of an obscene character” on May 13, 2013.

He admitted making 38 indecent photographs of a child between June 2008 and May 2013.

And he admitted two counts of breaching a sexual offences prevention order made by Teesside Crown Court in September 2011.

These offences involved his use of a laptop in May 2013 and May 2014.

District Judge Andrew Meachin sent Dowson’s case to Teesside Crown Court for sentencing on April 29.

Dowson, of Bradhope Road, Berwick Hills, Middlesbrough, was allowed unconditional bail until then.

April 2015

Lorry driver searched on-line for child sexual images

A LONG-distance lorry driver who had drunken talks about child abuse images in his local pub searched for it on the internet because it “played on his mind”, a court heard.

Former soldier Ralph Green, 53, was arrested after his home was searched on March 6 last year as a result of intelligence passed to police.

A hard drive found in a holdall in a cupboard contained three images at Category A – the most serious – seven at Category B, and 24 at Category C.

Officers recovered a computer tower from his bedroom which contained five indecent images of children at Category B, and two at Category C.

Green had tried to delete the images but they were recovered.

Hull Crown Court heard he used a number of search terms on Google, including “underage kids”, “kids sex Hull” and “rape”.

There was also evidence of a Skype conversation from 2012 Green had with someone called “nana little girl”.

Jayne Bryan, prosecuting, said Green told her “she looked nice” and asked if she had a younger sister.

“He told her he liked little girls and asked if she would show herself,” Miss Bryan said.

Green initially denied accessing the images and said he “must have come across them in drink”.

The court heard Green had altered the settings on his computer so items were deleted in a day, instead of the normal period of 20 days.

He could not explain the search terms that were recovered.

The court heard Green had “followed in his father’s footsteps” by joining the Army, and served for a number of years, including one “difficult” tour of duty overseas.

He became a long-distance lorry driver when he left and bought the house he shares with his elderly parents and nephew off Hessle Road, west Hull.

Geoff Ellis, defending, said: “He’s away most of the week.

“Unfortunately, when he comes home, he drinks excessively, sometimes to the point where he falls asleep in his pub and is woken by staff in the morning.

“There have been a number of conversations in the pub with people in a similar drunken state as he is.

“Those terms have come up and he believes these have played on his mind and he’s made searches.”

Judge John Dowse said: “He’s quite efficient on his computer, isn’t he?”

Mr Ellis agreed.

The judge said: “He’s done his best to hide what he’s been doing. The problem with that is it doesn’t reflect a drunken state – it’s cold and calculating.”

The judge said some of the search terms were among the worst he had come across.

Judge Dowse was given a letter from Green’s father, who accompanied him to court, in which it was said Green had suicidal thoughts.

The judge said: “That’s thinking about him. That’s not about those children who have been exploited, young children.

“Does he think about that?”

“It’s something he’s become more aware of since the pre-sentence report was written,” Mr Ellis said.

Green admitted making indecent photographs of children.

He received a 15-month prison sentence, suspended for two years, and will be supervised for two years.

He must sign the sex offenders register for ten years and was made subject to a sexual harm prevention order for the same period.